Filling-exhaustion-indicating mechanism for looms.



A. E. RHOADES. FILLING EXHAUSTION INDIGATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.APPLIOATION FILED DEG.19 1911.

1,024,023, Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

uni-ED s ra rns *PA- onnron.

ALONZO E. RHOADES, OF HOPEDALE,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 DRAPER COM- PANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS,A CORPORATION OF MAINE.-

FILLIlTG-EXHAUSTION-INDICATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23,1912.

Application filed December 19, 1911. Serial No. 666,737.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO E. Rrro mns, a citizen of the United States,and resldent of I'lopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improve-- meht like ' is substantially exhausted, thatis, before such filling runs out completely.

The change in the operation of the lootn may be the stoppage thereof, orit may be, and more frequently is, the replenishment of the workingfilling. Looms of this type are usually termed feeler looms because amember of the controlling mechanism is arranged to cooperate with orfeel intermittingly the filling inthe working shuttle ancLwhensubstantlal exhaustion thereof is detected by such member, or feeler,the desired change in loom operation is brought about.

Ordinarilythe feeler is arranged to cooperate wilh' the filling in theshuttle on every other pick, many forms of feeler mechanisms having beendevised, but as a matter of fact the cooperation of the feeler with thefilling is unnecessary until a near approach to substantial exhaustionthereof is reached, and with certain kinds of filling the continuedaction of the feeler in cooperating intermittingly therewith isobjectlonable. i

It has becn proposed to hold the feeler inoperative in a position ofrest after filling replenishment has been elfected until substantialfilling exhaust-ion is approached, and thereupon the fe'eler is throwninto operative position. This arrangement is necessarily based upon thequantity of filling on a fullbobbin, and the number of picks necessaryto weave off the filling down to. what may be termed the danger point,hence only full bobbins can be used if the tccler mechanism is designedto replenish filling in the Working shuttle, and care must is aspecification, like be taken in the spinning operation to provide thebobbins with a substantially uniform quantity of filling. In thepractical operation of filling replenishing looms, however, it is notfeasible to restrict the use to full bobbins alone, for commerciallybobbins having varying yarn loads must be utilized, and if the deviceabove mentioned is set for full bobbins it is useless with practicallyfilled bobbins, and vice versa.

In the first instance the yarn will run out before the feeler is throwninto action, and if the device is set for partially filled bobbins thefeeler will be thrown into action too soon if full bobbins are used.Such device, then, is notadapted for commercial use to any extent, aswill be manifest.

My presentinvention has for its object the production of fillingexhaustion indicating mechanism so constructed and arranged that it isadapted for use commercially irrespective of the quantity of filling onthe filling-carrier or bobbin in the working shut tle, such mechanismbeing thrown into and out of action alternately with respect to thefilling in the active or working shuttle.

To reduce as much as possible unnecessary cotiperation of the feelerdevice and the filling the periods of inactivity of such device arerelatively long and the periods of its activity relatively short untilthe danger point is reached, whereupon the feeler device coiiperateswith the filling'on alternate picks until substantial exhaustion of thefilling is detected.

,The means whereby the feeler device is held inactive wlth respect tothe 'filling is rendered inoperative automaticallfat regu-' larlyrecurring intervals, and the released feeler device is at once restoredto the control of such means by the action of'a moving part of the loom,by or through the filling in the shuttle, until the filling has wovenofi to such an extent that it is incapable of thus putting out of actionthe feeler device. .That is the danger point, and thereafter the feelerdevice operates in a familiar manner until it performs its ultimatefunction upon detection of the substantial ex haustion of the filling.

Any suitable feeler mechanism can be used in carrying out my inventionand he e n I have ch sen to illustrate my inexhaustion indicatingmechanism of an automatic loom of the type shown in thepat ent referredto, with one practical form of my present invention embodied therein,only so much of the loom structure being shown as is necessary to aproper understanding of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged left handside elevation of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fi l, toshow more clearly the means where y the feeler device is alternatelyheld out of operation and released; Fig. 3 is a detail of a portion ofthe releasing means, to be referred to; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail inside elevation and partial section, of the feeler proper, and the devicefor holding it inactive with respect to i the filling, butwith thefeeler released; Fig.

5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but in this instance the holding deviceis in operative position maintaining the feeler at rest and inoperative.v

Referring to' Fig.1 the lay A having at the feeling end thereof ashuttle-box B, the shuttle G of a well known automatically selfthreadingtype, (boththe side wall of the shuttle and the front box wall beingapertured for the entrance of the feeler into the shuttle) thebreast-beam having the usual notched holding-plate D for the shipper,and the controlling rod or shaft E whereby the filling-replenishingmechanism is called into operation to change the filling in the workingor active shuttle, may be and are all of well known construction, theshaft E being the only member of the replenishing mechanism necessary toillustrate. In practice such mechanism may be of the type shownin UnitedStates Patent No. 529,940 granted November 27, 1894 to Northrop, andherein the replenishment of the working I shuttle witha fresh supply offilling is the change in the operation of the loom which is broughtabout when substantial exhaustion of the filling in such shuttle isdetected.

The filling exhaustion indicating mechanism herein illustrated com risesa feeler F yieldingly mounted to side back and forth in a suitable standG mounted on the holding plate D, the shank H j of the feeler beingprolonged and projecting beyond the front end of the stand, a usualprojecting wring I, Fig.4, being arranged to move ihe feeler rearward,said feeler having pivotally mounted upon" it an actuating member Jprovided with an adjustable bunt-er K,

features of my inventhereby the link P connected with the controllingshaft E is placed in position to be engaged by. a vibrating member Q, inpractics-the weft-hammer, to turn the said shaft and thereby bring aboutfillin replenish--- ment when the shuttle is boxe at the replenishingside of the loom, all as prov b ded or in the Wood and Northrop patent."{1 In such patented structure the feeler F enters the shuttle andimpinges against the filling therein each time the shuttle is in the boxB, y

and as the lay heats up the feeler and the member J thereon are movedforward as a unit, the said member J clearing the controller L so longas there is a substantial amount of filling present. When, however,

the filling weaves oil to' the point of substa1 f- I tial exhaustion thefeeler is permitted to enter the shuttleso far that the bunter K willimpinge upon the shuttle wall, and thereby the member-J isrocked,'bringing its front end into engagement with the'controller'L andswinging the latter operatively as the lay heats up. 'Thereupon thetransmitter N isrocked and the vibrator Q engages and moves forward thelink P to turn the rock shaft E, and filling replenishment is effected.It will thus be obvious that the feeler impinges upon or coiiperateswith the filling in the shuttle on every alternate pick from the time abobbin is inserted in the shuttle until the filling is substantiallyexhausted, and this isthe ordinary operation of filling exhaustionindicating mechanisms. It will also be obvious that suchintermittentcotiperation of the feeler with the filling is wholly unnecessary, sofar asaconcerns the ultimate function of the feeler mechanism, for thevgreater part of tlleptime during which the filling is' weaving ofi fromthe bobbin. When using fine, soft or delicate filling this continualcotiperation of the feeler therewith is often objectionable, tending tobreak, out or otherwise injure the filling.

I By my present invention I obviate-the unnecessary action of the feelerwith respect to the filling by maintaining the feelerinoperative withrespect to the filling for relatively long periods, and permitting thefeeler to act for intervening short periods until the filling is wovenoff to what I may term the danger point, that is, when the filling hasbeen woven off to nearly the point of substantial exhaustion. When suchdanger point is reached the feeler remains operative 1 tial exhaustionis detected, and thereupon the exhaustion indicating mechanism performsits ultimate function.

I use the term substantial exhaustion in the sense commonly accepted,meaning thereby that when the ultimate function of the exhaustionindicating mechanismis performed there will still remain a small portionof filling 0n the filling-carrier or bobbin in the shuttle.

In the present embodiment of my invention I cut away or notch the feelershank H to leave a transverse square shoulder 1 at the front end of thenotch, and preferably I bevel rearwardly the rear end of the notch, asat 2, and I provide a holding device to at times engage said shoulderand thereby maintain the feeler F in retracted position, Fig. 5. At suchtime the feeler is inoperative and inactive with respect to the fillingin the working shuttle. That is, it will not cooperate with the fillingon alternate picks. the relative positions of the shoulder 1 and theholding device being properly arranged for that purpose. Herein saiddevice is shown as a pawl'3 having a lateral extension or lug 4, thepawl being slotted at 5 to receive a shouldered fulcrum pin 6 clampedthereonby a nut 7 The pin is mounted to rock in a transverse bearing 8conveniently mounted on or forming part of the usual controller guard R,and at its inner end the pin has fixed upon it by a sleeve 9, Fig. 1containing a coiled spring 10, one end of the spring being attached tothe sleeve and the other end to the bearing 8. The spring is so wound asto press the tip of the pawl downward toward the feeler shank II, overwhich said pawl. extends. Any other suitable means for depressing-thepawl may be employed, but the construction shown is simple andconvenient, and protects the spring.

By adjustment of the detent or holding pawl, by the slot 5, the devicecan be readily set for propel operation. and so, too, adjustment is provded for the final release of the feeler prior to substantial exhaustionof the filling. That is, by setting said pawl rearward with respect toit fulcrum pin (3 there will be less filling on the. bobbin when thedanger point is reached thanwill be the case if the pawl. is set forwardwith re-' spect to its fulcrum pin. This adjustment is entirelyindependent of the adjustment 1 of the hunter K, it will be understood,that latter adjustment determining how much I filling'will remain on thebobbin when substantial. exhaustion is detected by the fecler device.

From the foregoing description it will be T clear that when a freshsupply of filling is 5 inserted in the shuttle the filling "will engagethe projected feeler on the first feeling 5 pick after replenishment,and as the lay.

heats u the feeler F will be moved forward, and thereby the shoulder 1will be i carried forward beyond the tip of the pawl 3, so that thelatter will dropand engage i such shoulder as the lay recedes from frontcenter. Consequently the feeler will be held in its forward position,inoperative and inactive with respect tothe filling on subsequentfeelingpicks as long as the feeler is l undeir the control of the holdingdevice .or

paw

Means for effecting periodic, release of the feeler willnow bedescribed. The lay has attached to it a depending bracket 11 to which ispivoted at 12 a frontwardly extended link 13 jointed at 14; to adepending pawl-carrier 15, clearly shown in Fig. 2. A lateral pin 16projects outwardly from the pawlcarrier near its upper end and ismounted to rock in a bearing 17 forming part of a bracket 18 fixed onthe under side of the holding plate D. As shown in Fig. 1 the bracketextends outward beneath the feeler stand Gr, said brackethaving afrontwardly extended and upturned arm 19 which provides a bearing for ashort shaft 20 having attached to its inner end a ratchet 21. Saidratchet rotates in a vertical plane adjacent the-feeler stand G, and itprovided with a lateral tripping stud 22 which moves in a circular pathwhich is intersected by the lug 4 on the detent pawl 3. Referring toFigs. 1 and 2 it will be apparent that once in every revolution of theratchet 21 the tripping stud will more up under and raise the lug 4:,thereby lifting the pawl 3 into inoperative position above the path ofthe shoulder 1 on the feeler shank. Said ratchet is advanced step bystep by an actuating pawl- 23 pivoted on the pawl-carrier 15 at 24, Fig.3, and held in engagement with the ratchet teeth by a suitable spring 25con necting the pawl-carrier and the pawl-tail mounted on thepawl-carrier at its inner side, to clear t-l e bearing 17.

Referring to Hg. 2- 1twill be seen that the beat of the lay, and feedsforward the ratchet 21 as the lay swings back. and if the l ratchet has,for example. 36 teeth and is advanced one tooth for each pick then oncein every 36 picks of the loom the detent or holding pawl 3 will berendered inoperative. so far as concerns the foelcr, and the latter isreleased. The period during which the pawl dug 4 and tripping pin remainin engagement manifestly measures the. time 1 during which the feeler isfree to (-oiiperate with the filling in the shuttle on the feeling isweaving off. Such active periods are very short, compared to theinactive periods of the feeler. for two t four picks will usuallymeasure the time r ng which the tripping A pin controls the dozen pawl.Let it be sup- 26. 'As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the pawl is feed pawl 23retracted on each forward picks, while the greaterportion of the filling"posed that the feeler has detected substantial exhaustion of fillingand that in consequence a' fresh supply of filling has been in sertedinthe shuttle. On the first feeling pick the feeler will coiiperate withthe filling in the shuttle and as the lay beats up the feeler willbemoved forward, carrying the shoulder 1 well forward of the tip of thepawl 3, so that as the lay swings back said pawlwill drop behind theshoulder and the feeler will be held in its forward position, and onsubsequent feeling icks the feeler will be held inoperative and mac tirewith respect to the filling. By taking advantage of the momentum of thefeeler when moved forward on the beat upthe pawl 3 can be set so thatthere will actually be no contact of the fecler and filling subsequentlywhile the feeler is maintained inoperative. Even should this closeadjustment bedeemed unnecessary it will be inanifest that there will bein the beginning but the lightest contact between the feeler and thefilling, for the latter weaves otf rapidly and thereby steadily reducesthe diameter of the yarn mass opposite the feeler. When the feeler hasthus been rendered inactive by the movement of the lay, acting throughthe filling in the shuttle, said feeler is maintained at rest andinactive until the revolution of the ratchet 21 causes feeler releasethrough coiiperation of the tripping pin 22 and the pawl lug l. Uponsuch feeler release the'feeler is permitted to eotiperate with thefilling for one or two feeling picks, and each. time the feeler 1s movedforward far enough for the pawl. 3 to cooperate with the shoulder, butsuch cooperation is not oif ected until the pawl is released by the tionof the filling is detected.

From the foregoing description it will be clearly understood that oncefor a given number of picks measuring the inactive pcriods the feelerreleased and permitted to coopcrate with the filling. and that aftereach of such releases the feeler is again restored to the control of themeans which maintain it inactive and at rest. until the filling has beenexhausted to the danger point, and then the feeler operates in usualmanner until substantial exhaustion is detected. By this alternation ofshort periods of activity and relatively long periods of shuttle,Consequently bobbins which have inactivity the feeler mechanismyisadapted to operate properly to detect substantial exhaustion no matterwhat quantity of filling is on a bobbin when it is inserted in the beenmore or less denuded of the filling can 4, be used just as well ascompletely filled bobbins, and this is very important when it'isremembered that breakage of filling requires the insertion of a newbobbin in the shuttle, for such. ejected bobbins must be used again toweave ofi thefilling remaining thereon. a

The rear end 2 of the notch in the feeler shank His beveled to act as acam against the tip of pawl 3 when the extreme fronts ward movement ofthe feeler is effected, reducing the wear between said parts.

I have shown one practical and simple form of means for maintaining thefeeler inoperative, and at rest, and simple means for efl'ectingperiodicallrelease of the feeler from the control ,of thefirst-namedmeans, but other forms of detaining and releasing means may be used, anda different arrangement of parts may be employed, by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention asset forth in the claims hereunto annexed.

Theparticular form of exhaustion indicating mechanism shown herein isused for purposes of illustration, and does not in any way restrict myinvention to use in connection therewith.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure 'by Letters Patent is:

1. In a loom, a feeler adapted to cooperate .interi'nittingly with thefilling in the active shuttle and to bring about a change in theoperation of the loom when substantial exhaustion of such filling isdetected, a device to maintain the feeler at rest and pre:ventcooperation thereof with the filling, and means to render saiddevice inoperativc. at predetermined intervals and thereby permiteoiiperation of the feeler and the filling at such times, combined withother means to restore automatically the feeler to the control of suchdevice after each of such times of feeler activity occurring prior tosul. .stantial filling exhaustion.

2. In a loom, a yield-ingly sustained reciprocating feeler to coiiperatewith the filling in the active shuttle and to bring about a change inthe operation of the loom when substantial exhaustion of such filling isdetected, a device to maintain the feeler at rest in retracted,inoperative position, means acting at regularly recurring intervals torender said device inoperative and thereby filling in the shuttle hasbeen reached.

In a loom, a yieldingly sustained reciprocating feeler to cooperate withthe filling in the active shuttle and to bring about a change in theoperation of the loom when substantial exhaustion of such filling isdetected, a detent pawl adapted to engage the feeler and hold itinoperative in retracted position, a device acting at regular intervalsto trip said pawl and thereby release the trader, the latter whenreleased cooperating in normal manner with the filling, and meansoperating automatically after each release of the teeler to restore itto the control of the detent until Substantial filling exhaustion isapproached.

4. In a loom, a spring-projected, reciproeating feeler adapted tocooperate with the filling in the active shuttle and to bring about achange in the operation of the loom when substantial filling exhaustionis detected, the feelci' being retracted by contact with the filling onthe beat-up, a detent to engage the fecler and maintain it retracted andinactive with respect to the filling, automaticall acting means to tripthe detent at regular intervals and thereby ett'eet release of thefeeler to cooperate with the filling, and a moving member of the loomacting through such cooperation upon the beat-up to retract the teeterand effect reiingagement of the detent therewith until the filling haswoven off to a predetermined extent, whereupon the feeler when rele. sedwill continue to cooperate with the tilting until substantial exhaustionthereof is detected.

In a loom, a yieldingly sustained feeler adapted to cooperate with thefilling in the active shuttle and bring about a change in the operationof the loom upon substantial.

exhaustion of the filling, an adjustable device to maintain the feelerinactive with respect to the filling, and means to release the feelerfrom the control of such device at regular intervals and permitcooperation of said feeler and the filling in the shuttle, combined withmeans acting by and through such co'dperationto replace the feeler underthe control of said device after each release until the filling haswoven ofi to a predetermined extent but short of substantial exhaustion,adjustment of said device fixing the extent to which the filling shallweave ott when it ceases to restore the feeler to the control of suchdevice.

6. In an automatic filling replenishing loom, mechanism, including ateeler adapted to cooperate intermittingly with the filling in theactive shuttle, to bring about filling replenishment when the teelerdetects substantial exhaustion of the tilting, a detent to cooperatewith the teeter when retracted by cooperation with the filling on thebeat up and hold the footer retracted,

and means operatingautomatically to render said detent inoperative atregularly recurring intervals, to release the feeler and permit it tocooperate with the filling, combined with means whereby the feeler aftereach release is restored to the .control of the detent by cooperation ofthe feeler with the filling until the latter has woven off to an 7extent approaching substantial exhaustion 7. In an automatic fillingreplenishing loom, mechanism, including a feeler adapted to cooperateintermittingly with the filling in the active. shuttle, to bring aboutfilling replenishment when the teeter detects substantial exhaustion ofthe filling, said feeler having a shoulderedshank, a detent pawl mountedon a stationary part of the loom and adapted to engage the shoulder ofthe feeler shank when the t'eeler is retracted, to restrain the teelerfrom operation, a revolving member having a device thereon to trip thepawl at each revolution of the said member, whereby the feeler 'isreleased and permitted to operate normally, and means to effect step bystep rotation of said member, combined with means whereby thefeelerafter each release is restored to the control of thepawlbycoiiperation with the filling on the beat up until the filling hasbeen din'iinished'to a predetermined extent.

8. In a loom, mechanism to detect substantial exhaustion of the fillingin the active shuttle and thereupon to bring about a change in theoperation of the loom. and means to prevent and permit, alternately, thedetecting action of such mechanism, said means comprehending am'eventing member rendered inoperative at regularly retairringintervals, and a moving member of the loom acting by or through the"filling in the active shuttle to restore said mechanism. to theconvtrol of the preventing member each time it is rendered inoperativeuntil a predetermined and less than substantial exhaustion of thefilling is reached.

9. In a loom, mechanism to detect substantial exhaustion of the fillingin theworking shuttle and thereupon to bring about a change in theoperation of the loom, and means to cause said mechanism to have shortperiods of activity and intervening longer periods of inactivity withrespect to the filling prior to substantial exhaustion thereof, saidmeans including an intermittingly operating member to control andmaintain atrest the nechanism during its longer periods of inactivity,and a moving nenrber of the loom to act through the filling in theshuttle and control said mechanism during its shorter periods ofactivity and up to the time substantial exhaustion of filling isdetected. 4

10. In an automatic filling replenishing loom, in combination, mechanismto detect substantial exhaustion of tht' filling in the prior tosubstantial exhaustionthereofisaid means including a member to controland maintain at rest such mechanism during the longer periods, areleasing device to render said member inoperative periodically, and amoving member of the loom acting by or through the filling in theactiveshuttle to restore said mechanism to the control of therestraining member each time the latter is renderedinoperative until apredetermined and less than substantial exhaustion of filling isreached.

11. In a loom, a feeler device, means to hold it at rest out ofengagement with any moving part of the loom, mechanism to render saidmeans temporarily inoperative at regular intervals,- to thereby releasethe feeler device and permit it to be engaged by the filling in theshuttle and restored to the control of such means on the beat up, aftereach release of the feelerdevice, until the filling inthe shuttleapproaches substantial exhaustion. a

12. In a loom, a feelei adapted when in operative position toengage-mtermittingly the filling. in the active shuttlb to be movedthereby until such filling is diminished to a predetermined extent,means to engage the feeler and hold it at rest in the position to whichit was moved by engagement with the filling and mechanism acting atregular intervals irrespective of the quantity of filling feeler andpermit operative positioning thereon combined with a moving member ofthe loom which causes filling-induced movement of the feeler after eachrelease thereof to restore the feeler to the-control of the holdingmeans until a predetermined dimi nution of the filling has been reached.

13. In a loom provided with an instru= mentality to replenishautomatically the filling in the working shuttle, and with mechanism tocause the operation of such instrumentality when the filling in theshuttle is substantially exhausted, said mechanism including a memberadapted to detect substantial exhaustion of the filling, in combination,

means to permit temporary operation of said member to feel the fillingat regular intervals prior to substantial exhaustion thereof, and othermeans to maintain said member inoperative and at rest between suchintervals, combined with a device to cause movement of said member intoinoperative position by or through cooperation with the filling aftereach replenishment of the shut tle with filling.

.In testimony whereof,.l have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, i ALONZO E. RHOADES.

. Witnesses:

ROBERT J AMresoN, E. D..Oseoon.

